Train-annunciator.



S. G. BRYANT.

TRAIN ANNUNCIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, 1911.

1,075,542, Patented 001.14, 1913.

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S. C. BRYANT.

TRAIN ANNUNCIATOR. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, 1911.

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STANLEY CHARLES BRYANT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BRYANT ZINC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TEAIN-ANNUNCIATOR.

Application filed March 3, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STANLEY CHARLES, BRYANT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Train-Annunciator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to annunciators, and particularly to annunciators used for notifying the approach of a train to an operator in a signal tower.

At the present time annunciators of the class described are usually so constructed that a bell is sounded when a train enters upon a section of track at some distance from the tower, and continues to sound just so long as the approaching train is on said section. The section is generally of some considerable length so that the bell Will sound for a good length of time in order to surely attract the attention of the attendant, and of course, just so long as the train stands upon the sect-ion the bell continues to ring. The result of such a construction is that the sound of the bell is extremely annoying at times, so that a construction and arrangement whereby the attendant can obliterate the signal as soon as it attracts his attention, is greatly desired, for, with such a construction the attendant could, as soon as the signal had served its purpose by notifying him, entirely obliterate it. Such a result of course could be obtained by merely inserting a switch in any of the electrical connections, to the ordinary and well known annunciators, but it would be necessary in every case to immediately close the witch as soon as the section of track governing the signal was free, an act which the attendant can by no means be depended upon to do, as a consequence a train may enter the signaling section of track without causing the signal at the tower to act.

The primary object of this invention is to so construct, arrange and electrically connect an annunciator of the class described that the signal given by the annunciator may be obliterated safely while the means used to produce the signal are operative.

As ordinarily installed the annunciators are placed on the front wall of a tower so that an operator of an interlocking machine faces them when operating the levers of the machine, but this arrangement brings the machine between the operator and the an- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

Serial No. 612,095.

nunciator, and to obviate the necessity for the operator walking around the end of the machine every time he needs to restore the annunciator to unsignaling condition, a mechanical connection has been made between the annunciator and a point over the front of the machine, so that the operator could restore the annunciator Without walking around the end of the machine. This me chanical connection is, however, objectionable as at best, the operation of it strains the delicate parts of the annunciator, and causes failures long before they would otherwise occur.

A further object of the invention is, therefore, to so construct, arrange and connect an annunciat-or of the class described that it may be restored to unsignaling condition from a distant point withoutthe use of mechanical connections.

The invention consists of the means for accomplishing the desired result of which a physical embodiment comprising the said means is herein shown in the form selected to illustrate the principle of the invention.

Similar characters of reference on the drawings designate similar parts of which:

Figure 1, is a front elevation with parts of the banner broken away to more clearly illustrate the construction. Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the annunciator with parts broken away to more clearly show the construction. Fig. 8, is a diagrammatic view showing the form of circuits which I have selected to illustrate the connections to my invention.

Construction: 1, designates a mounting plate to which by means of the screw 2, best shown in Fig. 2, is attached the bracket arm 3; 4': designates a hexagonal cap screw which passes through a hole in the bracket 3, and is screw threaded into an iron core 10, passing through the center of the eleotromagnet 5, and which thus holds the electromagnet 5 in place; 6 and 7 designate pole pieces for the electromagnet 5, the pole piece 6 being bound tightly between the bracket 3 and the core 10, by means of the screw 4; the pole piece 7 being bound tightly at the other end of the core by means of the hexagonal cap screw 8; on either side of the pole piece 7 are pivoted pivot screws as 9, which bear the member 11, to which by means of the screws 12 and 13 is attached the armature 14; the upper end of the armature being bent at right angles as shown at 15, and having passing therethrough a small bolt 16, by which is attached a retaining arm 17 which retaining arm is bent upwardly and toward the back as shown in Fig. 2, and having on its free end a cross piece 18; best shown in Fig. l, which cross piece bears against two pins, 19 and 20, and so prevents the armature 14 from falling so far away from the pole piece 6 that it cannot again be attracted. The armature 14 has a cut-away portion 21, atits upper end, best shown in Fig. 1, which cut-away portion has a beveled edge 22 to engagewith and hold a catch 23, best shown in Fig. 2, which catch is rigidly attached to a banner 24, so that when the catch is in engagement with the armature, the banner is held in the position shown in Fig. 2, a position which will be hereafter designated as an inconspicuous position; for, when in such position, the banner is not exposed to view for in the well known manner the annunciator herein shown and described is in practice inclosed in an opaque case having in its face a slit through which the banner 24, when in the position shown in Fig. 1, may be seen. The banner 24 is pivoted on the pins 25 and 26, and bears an arm 27 which is bent at right angles to the side of the banner and extends a short distance therefrom at which point it is again bent parallel with the side of the banner, best shown in Fig. 1, so that when the banner is in the conspicuous position, as shown in Fig. 1, the arm 27 will contact with the metallic strip 23. To the pole piece 6 is attached by means of screw 29, the auxiliary pole piece 30 and on the banner 24 is fastened the body of magnetic material 31, so that when the banner 24 is swung upwardly to the limit of its movement, the body of magnetic material 31 will come in contact with auxiliary pole piece 30. The bracket 3, also supports by means of the button head cap screws 32 and 33, solenoid 34, which has a core 35 adapted to be drawn upwardly when the solenoid 34 is energized and which bears on its lower end a button head cap screw 36 which has rigidly attached to its head the outstanding arm 37 which at its extremity is bent so as to form a channel as shown at 38, in which channel rests one side of the banner 24 when in its lowermost position. On one side of the mounting plate is attached the insulating strip 39, and on the other side the insulating strip 40, which insulating strips bear binding posts 41, 42, 43 and 44, for connecting to the annunciator the wires leading to the battery and the external means for operating the electromagnets 5 and 34; the insulating strip 39 also has fastened to it by means of screws 45 and 46 the pivot plate 47 which bears one pivot 25 for the banner 24'; the insulating strip 40 Zterminals of which are connected to the two rails; 59 designates an armature con- ?trolled by relay coil 58; and 60 designates flan ordinary electric bell; 61 designates a jlloatteryg 62 designates an ordinary strap zey.

Operation: When a train passes upon the two rails of the block section 53, the relay coil 58 will be shunted and armature 59 will drop which will cause a current from the battery 61 to flow in a circuit as follows: @positive terminal of battery 61, wire 63, binding post 42, wire 64, electromagnet 5, wire 65, binding post 41, wire 66, armature 59, wire 67, binding post 43, wire 68, to the negative terminal of the battery 61, so that the entrance of a train upon block 53 would cause armature 14 to be attracted toward the {pole piece 6, thereby releasing catch 23 on the banner and allowing the banner 24 to drop into the position as shown in Fig.1, whereby it would be made conspicuous by ,reason of the slit in the case which is formed as in the ordinary commercial annunciators. So long as the train remains upon block section 53, the armature 14 will be attracted and, consequently, will be in what I shall term, the operative condition. In the ordinary and well know form of annunciator, if the banner were replaced by hand while the armature 14 was in the operative position, it would immediately fall back into the conspicuous position, but when the banner of this invention is raised to and beyond the inconspicuous position heretofore described, the magnetic body 31 coming in contact with he auxiliary pole piece 30 will be attracted and held to the electromagnet, as long as the electromagnet is energized which will be so long as a train remains upon block section 53, so that it is possible to return a displayed signal to an inconspicuous position while the means which operated to place it in the conspicuous position are still operative. It is also to be observed, that as soon as the train which, by entering upon block section 53 caused the energization of electromagnet 5 has passed beyond the limits of said block section, the electromagnet 5 becoming dee'nergized will allow armature 14 to fall away from pole piece 6 andat the same time will allow the banner 24 to fall toward the position shown in Fig. 2, and in so doing, armature 14 and catch 23 will engage one with the other and hold the banner 24 in the posiits lid

tion shown in Fig. 2, so that a subsequent energization of electromagnet 5 will again cause the signal to assume the operative condition. In this invention, entire reliance need not be placed upon the banner for notifying the desired person, for by means of the arm 27 contacting with strip 28 an electric circuit is formed when the banner is in the conspicuous position, which circuit contains an electric bell 60 and current flows tlierethrough in the following path: positive terminal of battery 61, wire 63, binding post 42, wire 69, banner 24L, arm 27 strip 28, wire 70, bell 60, wire 71, binding post 13 and Wire 68 to the negative terminal of the battery 61.

In train annunciators in use heretofore, as has been pointed out, mechanical means have been used to restore the annunciator to in conspicuous position, but in my invention by closing contact between the two members of strap key 62 a current is caused to flow through solenoid 34, which solenoid has a core therein which is lifted when the sole noid is energized and by means of a connection to one arm of the banner raises the said banner to such a position that the body of magnetic material 31 contacts with the any iliary pole piece 36, the circuit through which the current from battery 61 flows, to effect this result, is as follows: positive ter minal of the battery 61, wire 63, binding post-42, wire 72, solenoid 34, wire 7 3, binding post 4%, wire 7%, one side of strap key 62, the other side of strap key 62, wire 75, binding post 43 and wire 68 to the negative terminal of the battery 61. Strap key 62 may be suspended from the ceiling of a tower so as to hang directly over the place where an operator stands when manipulating the levers of an interlocking machine so that upon receiving a signal from the annunciator, it will be unnecessary for him to move from his position in front of the machine to restore the annunciator to inconspicuous position and furthermore by using the electrical means herein set forth for restoring the annunciator, all evil effects from violent wrenches to the delicate mechanisms of the annunciator are avoided.

Although the member 30 has been herein shown and described as a separate element detachably secured to pole piece 6, it is, of course, to be understood that the same could be an integral part of pole piece 6.

Having thus fully described the principle underlying the means which I have devised for accomplishing the object sought and having illustrated a specific physical embodiment including the principle underlying my invention and having fully described the construction and method of operation thereof, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an annunciator, in combination, a

source of current, an electromagnet, a normally open circuit including said source of current and said electromagnet, means interposed in said open circuit adapted to close said open circuit, an armature pivoted at one end in proximity to the electromagnet, a pivoted vane having a conspicuous and two inconspicuous positions placed in proximity to the said armature, said vane having a hook shaped projection attached thereto adapted to engage the free end of the armature when said armature is not under the influence of said electromagnet, said hook and armature being so constructed that said vane is released when said armature is attracted by the closing of said open circuit, thus causing the vane to drop into its conspicuous position, a solenoid, a normally open circuit including said solenoid and including said source of current, means to close said last named circuit, a core adapted to be attracted by said solenoid when energized, said core adapted to contact with said vane when it is in said conspicuous position and said core adapted when attracted to move said vane into an inconspicuous position, an audible alarm, a nor mally open circuit including said source of current in which said audible alarm is included and means actuated by said vane in its conspicuous position to close said last named circuit and thus cause said alarm to sound, a magnetic material attached to said vane, said magnetic material adapted to be attracted and held by said'electromagnet when the said vane is lifted to said inconspicuous position after being released by said armature, and adapted to release said vane so that said hook will be caught by said armature and held in the other inconspicuous position when said first named circuit is broken.

2. In an annunciator, an audible and a visual alarm, means to sound-said audible alarm, means to hold and release said visual alarm, means to cause the audible alarm to cease and the visual alarm to disappear while said second mentioned means are in the same condition as when the visual alarm is displayed, a magnetic material carried by said visual alarm adapted to co-act with said second named means to prevent the sounding of the audible alarm and the release of the visual alarm while said second. named means are in the same condition as when the visual alarm is displayed.

3. in an annunciator, a normally silent audible alarm and a normally undisplayed visual signal, means to hold and release the visual signal, means controlled by the display of the visual signal to sound the audible alarm, means to return the visual signal to undisplayed position and cause the audible alarm thereby to become silent, means adapted to co-act with said first named means while said first named means are in the same condition as when the signal is displayed to retain the visual signal in undisplayed position, said means including a magnetic material attached to said visual signal.

4. In an annunciator, a normally silent audible alarm and a normally undisplayed visual signal, means to hold and release said visual signal, electrical means to return said visual signal to undisplayed position, electrical means cooperating with said first named means to thereafter hold said visual signal in undisplayed position while said first named means continue in the same con dition as when the signal is displayed, said last named electrical means including a magnetic armature carried by said visual ig al.-

5. In an annunciator, a normally undisplayed visual signal, said visual signal havtwo undisplayed positions and a displayed position, said visual signal normally being in one of said undisplayed positions, means including an electromagnet to cause the display of said visual signal, means to return the visual signal to the other said undisplayed position, and means consisting of magnetic material attached to said visual signal co-acting with said electromagnet to retain said visual signal in said other undisplayed position.

6. In an annunciator, a normally undisplayed visual signal, said visual signal having two undisplayed positions and a dis.- played position, means consisting of a pivoted armature and a catch on said visual signal to normally hold said visual signal in one of its undisplayed positions, an elec-. tromagnet adapted when energized to at tract said armature thus releasing said visual signal and allowing it to drop to displayed position, means to return said visual signal to the other undisplayed position, said means consisting of a solenoid adapted when energized to move said visual signal from displayed position into said other undisplayed position and means including a body or" magnetic material attached to said visual signal adapted to be held by said first mentioned ele'ctromagnet when said first mentioned electromagnet is energized, said armature and catch so placed that the catch engages said armature to hold the visual signal in said first named undisplayed position when said first mentioned electromagnet is thereafter .deenergized so as to be in position to be again displayed upon a subsequent encrgization of said first mentioned electromagnet.

7. In an annunciator, an audible alarm,

means to sound said audible alarm including an electromagnet, an armature in operative relation to said electromagnet, a contact maker in operative relation to said armature, sald contact maker adapted to makecontact when said electromagnet operates said armature, said audible alarm adapted to be sounded when said contact is made, means to break said contact while said ar mature is operative to permit said contact maker to make said contact, means cooperating with said electromagnet to hold said contact broken while said armature is operative to permit said contact maker to make said contact, said means including a magnetic body attached to said contact maker adapted to be attracted by said electromagnet when said electromagnet is energized, said arma-' ture and contact maker having coeacting parts so placed as to hold said contact broken when said electromagnet is there-. after deenergized.

8. In an annunciator, an elect-romagnet, means to energize the electromagnet, a signal having two inconspicuous positions and a conspicuous position and biased to move successively from one of the inconspicuous positions to the other inconspicuous position and the conspicuous position, means actuated by the electromagnet whereby the signal assumes its conspicuous position, a solenoid, means actuated by said solenoid to cause said signal to have one of said inconspicuous posit-ions, and means cooperating with said electromagnet and including a body of magnetic material, to maintain said signal in said one inconspicuous position, said body of magnetic material ceasing to co-act with said electro-magnet when said electromagnet is deenergized thus permit-- ting the other inconspicuous position of said signal to be assumed, said second named means and said signal having co-acting parts so constructed as to prevent the signal assuming the conspicuous position when released by the deenergizat-ion of the said electromagnet,

9. In an annunciator, a signal having two undisplayed positions and a displayed position and biased to move successively from one of the undisplayed positions to the other undisplayed position and the displayed position, an electromagnet, means to energize said electromagnet, means actuated by the energization of said electromagnet to per mit said signal to assume its displayed position, means to cause said signal to assume the first of its undispla-yed positions, means cooperating with said electromagnet to maintain said signal in the said first undisplayed position, said means including a body of magnetic material adapted to be attracted by said electromagnet when energized, said second mentioned means being adapted to cause said signal to remain in said other undisplayed position upon .deenergization of said electromagnet.

10. In an annunciator, in combination, a source of current, an electpmagnet, a normally open circuit including said source of current and said electromagnet, means interposed in said normally open circuit adapted to close said normally open circuit, an armature pivoted at one end in proximity to the electromagnet, a pivoted vane having a conspicuous and two inconspicuous positions placed in proximity to the said armature, said vane having a hook shaped projection attached thereto adapted to engage the free end of the armature when said armature is not under the influence of said electromagnet, said hook and armature so constructed that said vane is released when said armature is attracted by the closing of said normally open circuit, thus causing the vane to drop into its conspicuous position; a solenoid, a second normally open circuit including said source of current, means to close said second normally open circuit, a core adapted to be attracted by said solenoid when energized, said core adapted to contact with said vane when it is in said conspicuous position and when attracted to move said vane into an inconspicuous position, a magnetic material attached to said vane, said magnetic material adapted to be attracted and held by said electromagnet when said vane is lifted to said inconspicuous position after being released by said armature, and adapted to release said vane so that said hook will be caught by said armature when said first named normally open circuit is broken.

STANLEY CHARLES BRYANT.

Witnesses:

J. WV. CREMERIUS, A. F. KLINK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eaten-1EI Washington, D. 0. 

